AL Top Players: No. 43 Jose Quintana

Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of an MLB American League baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
— AP

Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of an MLB American League baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
/ AP

No. 43 Jose Quintana

Position: LHP

Age: 24

B/T: R/L

Team: Chicago White Sox

Lowdown: Armed with one of the hardest sliders in the AL, Quintana entirely avoided a sophomore slump in 2013. He went 9-7 – for a bad White Sox team, too – and lowered his ERA from 3.76 last year to 3.51 this year. He also bettered his strikeout ratio (7.4), walk ratio (2.5) and his WHIP in settling in as Chicago’s new No. 2 behind LHP Chris Sale. That's at least something good developing on the South Side.